If Federal agencies were created with the proverbial single “stroke of the pen”, all at once, in unison and coordinated intersections of thoughtful complexities, then of course there would be a lack of overlap, duplication and repetition. The essence of efficiency is precisely to limit duplicative efforts. But then, some would perhaps say that it is an inherent self-contradiction to assert that Federal agencies can both be coordinated as well as efficient.
In the disability compensatory systems impacting Federal and Postal workers, there are multiple “pockets” which the Federal and Postal worker can be eligible for, given the right qualifications and by meeting certain threshold criteria. Under FERS, the system of retirement and disability retirement was fairly well-planned (and, again, some would say that such planning was a historical first, in many ways), in that it envisioned a coordination of benefits between the retirement system and Social Security. That is precisely why, in filing for Federal Disability Retirement benefits under FERS, the Federal or Postal employee must also file for Social Security Disability Insurance benefits sometime during the process.
Then, of course, there are a multitude of other programs and agencies, such as VA benefits (for Veterans of the military services) and OWCP/FECA, for “on-the-job” injuries. Each are independent entities, created for specific purposes, goals and targeted personnel.
Over the years, the Courts, and specifically the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board, have somewhat “clarified” the interconnecting impact of a decision from one independent agency upon the decision-making process of another, and such decisions should be used in arguing one’s Federal Disability Retirement case.
Benefit coordination, offsets and simultaneous filings aside, how one utilizes the decision of one administrative agency in preparing, formulating and filing for Federal Disability Retirement benefits from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, whether under FERS or CSRS, is an important component in reaching the goal of a successful Federal Disability Retirement application.
Sincerely,
Robert R. McGill, Esquire
Filed under: Theory and Practice: Tips and Strategies for a Successful Application | Tagged: accepting opm disability clients all across america, aggressive representation of federal workers before the mspb, attorney representing federal workers for disability throughout the united states, choices a disabled federal employee has today, civil service disability, communication among federal agencies, connecting legal standards and sufficiency tests, department of labor and office of personnel management disability programs, different agencies provide difference medical benefits for federal and postal employees, different disability standards among different us government programs, different laws and standards of disability, disability compensation programs available for injured/disabled federal workers, disability retirement at the USPS, essential elements of jobs, federal disability lawyer, federal disability retirement law and its different concepts and terminologies, FERS disability lawyer, fers disability retirement legal representation mesa ar, FERS medical retirement, law firm representing clients in opm disability law all across america, legal services for federal and postal workers all across america, logical coordination of all important forms in the opm disability packet, nationwide representation of federal employees, not much real coordination amog federal oganizations, OPM disability application tips and strategies, other disability or medical programs available for federal and postal workers, programs of compensation available for us government employees, the importance of coordination in federal disability retirement, the influence that other disability programs have on opm disability retirement eligibility, the key to get qualified under different federal disability and medical programs available for federal employees is to understand their different purposes and criteria of eligibility, the most complete blog on federal disability retirement, three choices for many disabled federal employees, Tips and tricks for the filling out the Applicant's Statement of Disability, understanding the federal disability programs available for postal workers, USPS Disability | Leave a comment »
OPM Disability Retirement Help: Different Standards
To overdress is almost always acceptable; to underdress — well, while it may be acceptable, you may have to endure being the subject of curiosity and quiet whispers of raised eyebrows.
There are different standards for every occasion, endeavor, event or engagement; some high, others low; a few enforced without exception while still maintaining a sense of decorum and the rest of them left to ignored apathy where anything goes. Some private clubs seem to thrive upon the exclusivity of standards maintained so high that few can meet the exceptionalism applied, while those more accessible to the public allow for flagrant violations with nary a nod or a wink.
It is when the context becomes the content that eyebrows become raised, and the higher the brow the more exclusive the thinking. For the rebel, it is always difficult to try and convey the notion that one must adapt and change with the circumstances — that standards are applied, and you must recognize those standards and act accordingly.
For Federal employees and U.S. Postal workers who suffer from a medical condition such that the standards set have now failed to be met — whether at the personal level or the professional — it might be time to consider filing for Federal Disability Retirement benefits, whether the Federal or Postal employee is under FERS, CSRS or CSRS Offset.
Whether through a recognition of the standards set for yourself — which is often higher than what is acceptable by others — or because you are beginning to get the hints that your agency or the Postal Facility has become dissatisfied with your work performance, your attendance or excessive use of sick leave; whatever the reason, the plain fact is that the medical condition itself is always the basis for determining the need to alter and modify one’s personal and professional standard.
Don’t be too hard on yourself. The standard you used to apply before the onset of a medical condition should not be the same one that is applied to your present situation, and you should therefore consider that the standard of maintaining one’s health is the present priority exclusively, no matter what your Federal Agency or your Postal Facility tries to have you believe.
Consult with an attorney who specializes in Federal Disability Retirement Law, and determine whether you “meet the standards” to apply for Federal Disability Retirement benefits through the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. They may be different than what you think.
Sincerely,
Robert R. McGill, Esquire
Filed under: Reflections of an OPM Disability Retirement Lawyer | Tagged: applying the sufficient documentation test to a standard in an opm disability retirement case, awol for medical reasons federal employment, biased disability reasonable accommodation committee in post office and what my options are, blog information from fers attorney end of federal employment for disabled us postal workers, dealing with supervisors negative comments on request for fers disability retirement, different laws and standards of disability, disability leave for postal employees, disciplinary actions and disabilities discrimination fers attorney, disciplinary actions for awol medical leave fers lawyer, excessive sick leave postal employee lawyer, federal employee fers disability for crohns disease, fers benefits if resign for physical or mental impairments, fers opm attorney expert on the usps long term disability application process, fers retirement for stress and depression, fers retirement form 3107 disabling conditions, forced fers medical retirement by us postal service, getting permanent benefits when you have a partial disability which won’t allow you to work in the federal government with efficiency, hiring an attorney excessive sick leave federal employee, how to apply for postal medical retirement benefits, how to resign from a civilian dod position for medical disabilities, how to resign from the postal service if I have a disabling condition, if a postal employee on owcp doesn’t expect to recover from an illness or long term injury, improper standard opm disability retirement, law blog on tips to complete sf 3112 attorney for federal employees, legal standards to be met in an opm disability application, limited duty mail handler with back injury, mail carrier postal employment light duty, opm disability retirement tsa employee, opm disciplined for using excessive sick leave, opm medical retirement filing after resignation from federal employment (be careful there is one year limit only), partial disability benefits federal worker, postal clerk with repetitive type of injuries, postal service letter to sign for disabilities, postal sf 3112 disability application package, qualifying for a disability retirement under opm fers, question to attorney McGill: how long do you have to work to qualify for civil service retirement, recovering from arthritis after employment in the u.s. post office, requesting advance long term leave for postal mail handler, resignation and medical retirement with usps medical retirement attorney, separation from federal employment medical inability to perform position chores, statutory legal standard of disability or impairment, stress traffic control medical retirement lawyer, top fers disability attorney serving now fers disability cranberry pa employees and surrounding areas, tsa.gov transportation security administration medical retirement attorney, us postal service shared services private attorney light duty, watch out for the federal employee medical retirement 80% rule, when sedentary postal positions for light duty won’t work, when there is an unfair termination of federal employee with cognitive limitations contact best fers employee advocate, workers comp with usps long term sickness | Leave a comment »